Empowering Minds: Inclusive Collections and Services for All

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The 2025 Kenya Flash Lecture offers a panel presentation from Sheila Garcia Mazari, Tiffeni Fontno, and Rachel Elrod, each of whom works to provide inclusive collections and services to underserved communities of color.

Dr. Rachael Elrod (U. of Florida) will discuss her work on the Diverse BookFinder (DBF), an IMLS National Leadership project that created a comprehensive database of children’s and young adult books featuring Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) and a Collection Analysis Tool (CAT), a free online tool designed to help librarians understand both who are in their books and how they are represented.

Dr. Tiffeni Fontno (Vanderbilt University) brings experience as an elementary classroom teacher and school librarian to her current work as Director of the Peabody Library. She utilizes her position as a librarian and educator to bridge divides and create opportunities for young people to see themselves reflected in literature, fostering lifelong readers and library advocates.

Sheila Garcia Mazari (UCSC) assisted in building Grand Valley State University’s Undocumented Students’ Cartoneras Collection, which aimed to capture the voices and experiences of GVSU’s undocumented student population. 

Presenters:

Dr. Rachael Elrod (U. of Florida)

Dr. Tiffeni Fontno (Vanderbilt University)

Sheila Garcia Mazari (UCSC)

Training Provider: Kenya Flash Lecture

Track: Collection Development, Inclusion